The present invention relates to a novel golf putter which is distinguished by the design of a putting head which is particularly useful in the fringe or longer grass area which usually surrounds the putting surface of the green. In addition it is equally useful upon the normal putting surface itself.
In the past, very little attention has been directed toward the solution to the above mentioned problem which exists with respect to putting from the fringe area. One attempt at such a solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,202 in which a putter is designed with an elevated putting face raised from the putting surface, and supported between a pair of circular or semi-circular discs. The only contact with the putting surface is by means of these discs. While such a design may have some efficiency in avoiding problems with the higher grass height of fringe areas it has the disadvantage that the disc members fail to provide a suitable contact surface with the green or fringe requiring an exact angular position of the club head during the putting stroke. Because of the curved surface paralleled to the green such a position is difficult if not impossible to attain, resulting in failure to properly engage the golf ball when stroked.
The problems encountered in attempting to putt from the fringe or higher grass areas surrounding a green are correctly set forth in the specification of the above patent. As described further below applicant has designed a novel putter head which effectively resolves these problems. At the same time the putter head described herein is fully effective upon the normal putting green surface.